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ABOVE OUR LATEST PROJECT:
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MODEL # 1 WITH DIY EXPANDABLE LIVING SPACE PLUS GREENHOUSE. |
CACAO DOME GETS ROOF:
AFTER TWO (2) RAINY SEASONS WE DECIDED TO BUILD A ROOF FOR OUR "CACAO DOME" |
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Majestic Dome (interior Finishing)
Our Majestic Dome served us as our first structure where we learned many aspects on how to build an Earthbag Structure. What started off as a small "DOG-Dome" was later converted into an "Airshaft Tower" and we continuously added to the structures. We build a main Structure (now being seperated from the adjadent tower).
So now the "Majestic Dome" is being converted into a "Duplex Dome". Each Section will have a seperate entrance and the top floor (3rd Floor) of Section B will be converted into a "Watch Tower". The above Video shows the commencement of the interior finishings being applied to this Dome.
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Searching for Adobe Material:
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Structures made of Earthbags, Adobe, CEB, Rammed Earth, Bamboo or Wood
Our "ECO-RANCHOS"
The EcoRanchos will form part of an Eco Resort being built at our Farm in "La Chorrera".
 We made this Design for our EcoRanchos. These EcoRanchos are part of a small EcoLodge complex. They obtained a construction permit issued by the Municipality of La Chorrera, probably a first in Panama for an Earthbag Building! |
 These Domes are going to be some big boys.... Construction as per 24.10.2011! CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO APPRECIATE THE DOME SIZE! |
Here ongoing Videos of our EcoRanchos:
Eco Ranchos update 28th February 2013:
Eco Ranchos update 31st Jan. 2013:
For shorter Video click upper Video.
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EcoRanchos update: 20th October 2012
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part A) update 20th oct. 2012
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part B) update 20th Oct. 2012
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EcoRanchos update: 15th September 2012
If you want to see how these EcoRanchos are constructed and progressing please click on the following videos:
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Other older Video updates on our Eco Ranchos:
30th March, 22nd April, 25th May, 3rd & 10th June, 2012
update 3rd June, 2012
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update 10th June, 2012
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ADOBE BRICKS
(Ladrillos de Adobe)
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Building an
ADOBE Brick House
Earthbag Dome "El Cacao"
20 feet in diameter, standing 20 feet high with loft and with seperate EcoToilette.
In 2011 it took 4 months for a team of 4 people to complete the structure. The Dome has become an icon in the region and serves to house our farming staff working at our lime plantation.
In 2011 it took 4 months for a team of 4 people to complete the structure. The Dome has become an icon in the region and serves to house our farming staff working at our lime plantation.
The making of "El Cacao Dome":
Our MAJESTIC DOME: "LA CHORRERA":
The ongoing earthbag structure we call our "Majestic Dome". Construction of the Dome started off as a small dog house back in 2009. In 2010 the "Dog Dome House" was converted into an "Air Shaft Tower". Eventually the Dome developed into a 2 Story Main Building and an impressive 3-Story Dormitory Tower with Thatch Roof. The "Air Shaft Tower" only recently received a Cupola Roof. The "Majestic Dome" can accommodate up to 12 people without stepping on each others toes or having to suffer from sleepless nights due neighboring snors.....
 This is our Dome located in La Chorrera, Panama. The figures on this Dome are staggering: Over 150 tons of Earth material used. The land where we extracted the soil is over 3 meters deep and has over 10 meters in diameter. This hole was turned into our Tilapia pond as can be seen at the beginning of the upper right video. We reckon there must be min. 10,000 gallons water in the pond at any given time. Today the pond houses larger Tilapia fish and hundreds of Tilapia fryes.The picture to the right is a closeup of the massive 3 story tower with Thatch Roof. The Dome is about 80% completed! To see a small Video of this Dome please go to our MORE webpage! |
 3-Story Tower with Thatch Roof |
The Making of our "MAJESTIC DOME"
(in pictures)
Thatch, Earthbag and Hypar Roofs
We have over 30 years experience in constructing Natural Thatch Roofs. The interior beauty of a Thatch Roof is illustrated at the top of this section with a photograph taken from our "La Chorrera Dome". It looks like a work of Art. Pictures and some Videos of our Thatch Roofs and other can be seen in our MORE section.
Thanks to http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com, a web-blog we can highly recommend for any enthuthiast of Natural Buildings, we recently learned about the "HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID ROOF" a.k.a "Hypar Roof", "Saddle Roof". This may be a suitable alternative as the construction of this roof allows a "Roof first construction" suitable for a tropical country like Panama where you can loose a lot of building time due to heavy rain falls.
HYPAR ROOF VIDEOS
The ongoing Videos cover a Bamboo Structure and a test taken on LatexConcrete Plates we prepared. With this simple field test we try to simulate the possible performance on the material being applied. The thickness on these Plates where uneven. They ranged from 0.5 cm to 1.4 cm.
One LatexConcrete Plate had 3 the other had a 4 layer mosquito netting. The 3 layer failed exposed at about 140 pounds of weight, the other stood good at over 185 pounds.
The mosquito net used for these plates (2 inch width strip) was good exposed to 50 lbs weight test during a period of over 48 hours.
We had some fun wondering when the plates would brake. Starting off with our smallest worker (13o pounds) the plate withstood with no problems and moved up on weights according to the size of our workers.
Everyone was surprised to see the plates withstanding the weight applied on them.
The Bamboo Roof on the left Video is made of Guadua Bamboo. We had some concerns for the 4 Bamboo Logs being too small in diameter. Yet, we had workers hang on the Roof to test its load. The structure does not show any type of strain being exposed with a weight load of 175 LBS on its top. This little excercise can be seen on the 3rd Video.
Our aim is to have a Hypar Roof surface properly assembled and finished with locally available and tested materials. The end product has to withstand 250 kg weight per sq. meter.
HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID ROOF TESTING:
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The continuation of our testing after two years.... |
Comfortable EcoRanchos are available for accommodation at our Farms. Please contact us for more information:
info@landtrees.net
At the farms besides fun and educational AGRO-TOURS we provide:
- Natural Building Seminars (schedules restart end April 2013)
- Vermiponics and Aquaponics system introductions
Accommodation in our EcoRanchos are available as from mid April 2013 onward.
Please make sure you contact us for updates and bookings...!!
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